9781631050275TheirPerfectMatchMarshNC

by Alela Marsh

  “Is this what you were interested in Todd for?” Molly asked. As shocked as she was at Sabrina’s treachery, she was even more appalled at the thought of Todd finding out that his entire relationship had been a scam.

  Sabrina said nothing.

  “Your story will fall apart soon enough, so you might as well fess up,” Zane prodded. He jiggled the flash drive in front of her face. “It’s all here, isn’t it, Sabina?”

  A casual smirk crossed Sabrina’s face as she shrugged her shoulders. “Todd’s a nice guy—he’s fun. But he’s a dreamer, as I’m sure Molly knows. We need money. I considered that a little insurance policy in case some of my other investments didn’t work out. I have quite a few others, believe me.”

  “So you used Todd to access the software he designed, then used the information to embezzle from my clients?” Molly asked, hardly able to believe it even as she spoke the words. “I assume you took his keys, too—he has no idea you’re here, does he?”

  “Of course not. I thought about laying out my plan to him a while ago, and enlisting his help. That would have made things a lot easier, trust me. But I quickly realized that he’d never have agreed to help me bamboozle you, Molly. I’m afraid that sort of devotion, platonic though it might have been, sealed your fate. This way, I figured I could make money and get back at you at the same time.”

  “What are you talking about?” Molly asked, stunned. “I was no threat to you and Todd. I’m happy for both of you—or at least, I was.”

  “I’m sure you think so. That’s because you have no idea how Todd is always comparing me to you. He talks about you way more than he does any of his other girlfriends, and I’m well aware there have been plenty. You gave me—and probably all of them—an impossible ideal to live up to where Todd is concerned. I think that’s worth a little suffering on your behalf. Let the punishment fit the crime, I always say.”

  “And that concludes our trip down memory lane for the evening,” Zane said, lowering the flash drive. “Molly, call the cops and tell them we’ve caught an intruder.”

  An expression of panic crossing her face, Sabrina held up both hands. “Wait! This doesn’t have to go any farther than this room, surely. I’m willing to make restitution for anything the credit card companies didn’t already reimburse. You won’t be out a dime, Molly. I promise.”

  “I don’t think so, Sabrina.” Molly pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open. “I’m sorry for Todd’s sake, but I’m not willing to make any deals with you.”

  “All right, all right. Just give me a minute to explain one last thing. I think you’ll find it interesting.” Shrugging, Sabrina started to raise her hands as if to demonstrate something. Then, abruptly, she changed her mind and smashed a fist directly into Zane’s gut. Taken by surprise, Zane staggered back as the force of Sabrina’s blow threw him off balance. She had the flash drive back before Molly even had time to cry out in surprise.

  Spinning around, Sabrina raced into the outer office with the flash drive in her hand. Molly sprinted after her, while a recovered Zane closed in behind both of them. Sabrina rushed past the receptionist’s desk and was about to reach for the front door when Molly grabbed Brenda’s chair and gave it a heavy push. The four metal wheels carried it forward into Sabrina’s shins, knocking her onto her knees on the carpet. Before she had time to get up, Molly tackled her onto the floor face-first.

  Sabina started to struggle as Zane returned and wrenched the flash drive away once again. He took over for Molly, holding Sabrina in place on the floor while she dialed 911 and asked for police intervention. As she gave the information and explained that she and a friend had managed to subdue the burglar, she couldn’t help reflecting on what an amazing and efficient team she and Zane made.

  “I just have one other question before the cops get here,” Zane said, tightening his grip around Sabrina’s wrists while she flailed and cursed and tried to break free. “Did you give Decker money to woo Brenda with? And that gold bracelet? I suppose you thought it would throw suspicion on them if anyone did manage to figure out it was an inside job.”

  Perhaps seeing that she had no hope of overpowering him, Sabrina gave up and lay back on the carpet. She seemed to take pride in recounting the details of her crime. “Actually, that was the easy part. Once I found out from Brenda that he had a record, I knew he’d be the perfect patsy. I came up with some odd jobs for him to do for me in my condo, and then I overpaid him in cash. I knew he’d spend it all on her. He never questioned it—he and Todd just accepted that I came from a wealthy family and had plenty of money to spare...and jewelry to give away.” She smirked. “I told him the bracelet was an unwanted gift from an unwelcome admirer. He was glad to take it for Brenda. I swore him to secrecy, supposedly so Todd wouldn’t find out. It’s funny how first impressions work, isn’t it? If he did get caught, I was prepared to deny I ever gave him a dime, though I see there’s not much point in that now. At the time, I figured no one would believe him.”

  “You were almost right about that,” Zane muttered, and Molly heard the remorse in his voice. She couldn’t feel all that superior, though. Even if she had championed Decker at first, she’d been eager to believe the worst of him once she’d spotted the bracelet and heard about his grandiose plans for the future. She too, was guilty of jumping to conclusions based on a person’s past.

  Fortunately, the sound of sirens in the street below meant she didn’t have to respond—at least, not just yet. She had a feeling she and Zane would do plenty of talking later.

  * * * *

  Later, back at her condo, Molly ended her conversation with a distraught Todd and put down the phone.

  “How is he?” Zane asked from his place on the sofa.

  “Shaken up, but I have a feeling he’ll be all right. Knowing Todd as well as I do, I figure he sensed something wasn’t quite right about their relationship from the beginning. And he had to have noticed that her tastes were a lot more expensive than any of the other women he’s dated in the past. That had to make him nervous.”

  She started toward the couch, intending to join him, but he rose and met her halfway.

  “You’ve been a good friend to him since this whole thing started, Molly. I’m sorry I scoffed at your loyalty toward your employees. You were right about both of them.”

  “Well, looking back on it, you were right to be cynical. If I hadn’t been so quick to dismiss your suspicions, I might have realized that Sabrina was as viable a suspect as Decker all along. Like she said, she manipulated both of us into thinking she was above reproach.”

  He caught her hands in his and brought them up to his chest. His thumbs rubbed at her knuckles, sending little thrills though her entire body.

  “At least it’s over now,” he said. “I meant what I said about starting over, you know.”

  “You did save my business…and at some level, my sanity. I guess I owe you something for that.”

  A grin tilted his mouth. “I’ll take it.”

  Molly hesitated, unsure how to bring up a subject that had been bothering her since their earlier conversation about Zane’s future. “Zane…you remember what you said before? About not being able to come home again?”

  “Yeah. I remember.”

  “Well…” She swallowed, willing herself to continue. If she didn’t she knew, she’d regret her hesitation for a long time to come. And carrying around a load of regret was something she didn’t want to do anymore. She squared her shoulders and faced him. “The truth is, I was hoping you’d reconsider and stay in Providence for a while.”

  To her relief, he seemed to be fighting back one of those cocky grins he liked to flash her. “Oh? Is there some particular reason for that request?”

  “I’m only thinking of you, and your own peace of mind. You can’t just run away from your past, however unpleasant some of the memories might be. And whether you like it or not, you do have family here. You and Alaric could help each other heal…if you’d only give one another a
chance.”

  He moved toward her, stopping so that they stood toe to toe. His intense gray eyes bore down into hers, but she made it point not to flinch or look away.

  “A matchmaker and a budding psychologist. You’re a woman of many talents, Molly.”

  She shrugged. “Goes with the territory. If I’m going to match people, I need to size up their personalities quickly. And I still think I could have found Alaric a good match, but he didn’t stick around long enough to find out.”

  His broad chest swelled with laughter. Molly found herself staring at the front of his shirt, mesmerized by his rugged shape and the suggestion of so much hidden strength inside him. Yet he was also capable of a level of tenderness that took her breath away. The combination threatened to make her dizzy with want.

  “You know, I guess that would be worth sticking around for,” he said. “Seeing Alaric hook up with someone and maybe even fall in love. I don’t know if he’s even capable of that level of emotion.”

  “I can find him someone,” she vowed. “Obviously, my services in this instance would be on the house. It’s the least I could do for him…if he’d be willing to try again.”

  Zane nodded. “Let me talk to him. He’ll come around. In spite of his protests, I think he really is lonely, and his personality definitely needs some work. Do you think it’s possible that love can transform a person?”

  “Oh, I’m sure of it. One hundred percent sure.” Molly lifted her gaze to the large picture window behind him. Behind the glass, the moonlit harbor glittered under a canopy of stars. They looked a bit like diamonds sprinkled on a sheet of black velvet. “You know…the view’s terrific at daybreak. I think you’d enjoy it.”

  “Are you asking me to spend the night?”

  “Would you be angry if I were?”

  “No.” He continued to gaze into her eyes. “The truth is, I’m enjoying what I’m looking at right now. And yes, I want to spend the night with you…very much.”

  “Guess what?” she teased as he drew her closer and stroked her cheek with one hand. “I never did return that lingerie to Antoinette’s store. Somehow, I had a feeling I might get some use out of it after all.”

  “I’d say your instincts were right on target about that, too,” he marveled. “I really need to start listening to your intuition more closely in the future.”

  “That makes two of us,” she agreed.

  As his lips met hers, Molly realized, perhaps for the first time, that she really was capable of attracting and keeping a man—not with surface charm or even manufactured flirtatious behavior, but with the deeper qualities she had never valued enough in herself. Zane saw them in a way she doubted Todd ever had. Maybe he just hadn’t bothered to search for them.

  Still, Todd was the past. Zane was her future. She’d known that all along, at some level—she just hadn’t wanted to admit it. Now it was time for a new beginning.

  *The End*

  About the Author

  Alela Marsh is a longtime fan of romance novels who recently decided to take the plunge and start writing her own stories. Their Perfect Match is her first publication with Secret Cravings. She is currently hard at work on another book.

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com